As a Moral Comedy Portraying Natural Follies; an Analysis of Ben Jonson's

Vol 8, Issue 3, 2020 ISSN: 2347-5528 Letter to Editor

“THE ALCHEMIST” AS A MORAL COMEDY PORTRAYING NATURAL FOLLIES; AN ANALYSIS OF BEN JONSON’S POETIC JUSTICE

SHAMAILA AMIR1*, FAYYAZ AHMAD2, MUHAMMAD AURANGZEB3

1Fellow of Ph.D. (Linguistics), Hamdard University, Karachi.2Fellow of MS (Behavioural Sciences), NUST, Islamabad, Pakistan. 3Fellow of M. Phil, (English Literature) BBSUL, Karachi, Pakistan *Email: [email protected]

Received: 14 November 2020, Revised and Accepted: 30 November 2020

ABSTRACT

The Alchemist is an entertaining and hilarious comedy. According to Ben Jonson, the aim of his comedy was to “sport with human follies, not with crimes.” He tried to expose human follies to laughter with a purpose to rid people of these follies. Although the comedy is intended to entertain the audience, yet there is always a corrective purpose of it which has been properly taken care of by the author Richards, 1988. As the comedy helps the audience “to try to shed their follies and absurdities by making them laugh at those follies and absurdities,” this is also valid for his play “The Alchemist.” The paper, therefore, aims to highlight The Alchemist as a moral comedy which portrays natural follies in a typical Jonson’s poetic diction style.

Keywords: Comedy, Ben Jonson, The Alchemist, Natural follies, Poetic justice

INTRODUCTION have started the alchemical process to manufacture the philosopher’s stone. He has promised to provide Mammon with According to Ben Jonson, the aim of his comedy was to “sport the philosopher’s stone on a particular day and, when that day with human follies, not with crimes.” He tried to expose human comes, he finds a way of escaping the responsibility and follies to laughter with a purpose to rid people of these follies evading the whole issue by accusing Mammon of having (Womack, 1986). Although the comedy is intended to entertain wrecked the whole alchemical process by his sinful indulgence the audience, yet there is always a corrective purpose of it in sexual pleasure on the sacred premises. Subtle similarly which has been properly taken care of by the author (Richards, cheats the Anabaptists who have also been given a promise 1988). As the comedy helps the audience “to try to shed their that they would get the philosopher’s stone which would follies and absurdities by making them laugh at those follies enhance their power, influence, and prestige. He also assures and absurdities,” this is also valid “The Alchemist” (Ahmad, them that he can manufacture Dutch dollars for them. He takes 1992; Barnes, 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997). enough money from them at the outset and then extorts more The Alchemist is a comedy par excellence, a highly from them. He forces them to buy what he calls the “orphans’ entertaining, hilarious comedy. The episode in which Dapper is goods” which are actually the metallic articles sent to him by made to believe that he is a favorite of the Queen of Fairies and Mammon for conversion into gold. Dapper and Drugger too are that he is, in fact, her nephew, is very amusing. Dapper is Subtle’s victims, one being assured that he would be “provided befooled by the conspirator to such an extent that he allows with a familiar or an attendant spirit to enable him to make himself to be gagged by them and then stowed away in the money” through gambling, and the other having been assured closet. The episode in which Surly appears in the disguise of a of commercial prosperity through the prescriptions offered by Spanish Don, pretending that he knows no English, is again the alchemist. Subtle also shows his real villainous nature by very amusing. This situation is marked by irony because the hatching a plot with Dol against Face (Barnes, 1987; Craig, audience knows the truth about Surly, the conspirators do not. 1999; Donaldson, 1997). Ultimately Subtle has to flee from Then there is the pretended madness of Dol, which too is one of Lovewit’s house, completely outwitted by Face, and, “without the most amusing situations. The outwitting of subtle and Dol the slightest bit of the accumulated booty. Although Subtle’s by Face constitutes another comic situation. The discomfiture punishment is not very severe, yet it is not less as he would of the various ex-clients of Subtle, when Lovewit deals with now be reduced to the same straitened circumstances in which them most severely and effectively, is also among the highlights he was when he entered into a partnership with Face. As such of comedy (Barnes, 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997; the fate of Subtle is a lesson for those people who “try to make Jensen, 1985). money by crooked methods.” Likewise, Dol shares Subtle’s fate. Her role in the play is also “an obnoxious one.” She is a The moral aspect of the play: the evil fate of subtle and Dol prostitute; she pretends that she is “subject to fits of madness;” she disguises herself as the Queen of Fairies to throw dust into The Alchemist provides plenty of fun and laughter but despite the eyes of Dapper; she agrees to rob Dame pliant of her that it is full of moral values. The moral purpose of this play jewelry; and she joins Subtle in the latter’s plot against Face. becomes evident if the “ultimate fate of the various characters” Eventually, she also gets “nothing from the accumulated booty.” is examined. In the case of Subtle, Face and Dol, the author has Only Face among these three villains escapes “scot-free” and depicted “crimes, not just follies or absurdities as these therefore in this case, “the requirements of poetic justice have persons are criminals.” They “deceive and cheat” their clients not been met but flouted in a most outrageous manner” and the and “rob” them. Subtle is the chief criminal because he claims “moral impact of the play is certainly diminished” (Barnes, to be “an alchemist capable of manufacturing the elixir or the 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997). philosopher’s stone” which can make people wealthy and cure them of all kinds of diseases (Raw, 1989). But actually Subtle is Poetic justice, violated in the case of face a pretender. He is rightly described towards the end by one of Face is a villainous, “active partner in the frauds” practiced by his victims as the “alchemical cozener”. At the very outset, Face Subtle. He, in fact, entangles victims for Subtle to exploit. It is refers to Subtle’s alchemy, his algebra, his minerals, his he who brings Dapper to Subtle and recommends his case for animals; his conjuring, his cozening, and his dozen of trades. the favor which Dapper seeks from Subtle. It is he who Subtle pretends to have set up a laboratory where he claims to recommends the case of Drugger also to the doctor. He has

Amir et al. Innovare Journal of Education, Vol 8, Issue 3, 2020, 1-3 memorized all the necessary technical terms, and makes The failure of poetic justice in the case of surly plentiful use of them when required to do so to create an impression on the clients. It is he who assures Kastril of There are still cases that show the failure of poetic justice. Subtle’s powers to work miracles. It is he who procures Dol for Surly, e.g. is “an honest man and has been through the fraud Mammon, getting enough money from that man for this being practiced by Subtle.” He is determined to bring the man service. It is who procures Dame Pliant for the Spanish Don to justice. Moreover, he refrains from seducing Dame Pliant (who is no other than Surly in disguise). Then it is he who despite getting an opportunity and behaves honorably by hoodwinks Drugger, assuring Drugger that he (Drugger) would proposing her for marriage instead of seducing or deceiving be married to Dame Pliant when in actual fact he would himself her. In the end, however, despite being an honest man, he has like to marry her (Barnes, 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, to go away empty-handed and feels bitter to find that his loss is 1997). Finally, he betrays his ex-partners who resultantly are due to the “foolish vice of honesty” which he practiced. This driven away from the house “without a little bit of the booty.” deprivation of Surly certainly offends the ideas of morals He emerges “triumphant” at the end. Here, it seems that the justice. It is true that even Surly suffers from the taint of greed requirements of poetic justice have not been met and Jonson because his chief object in wanting to marry Dame Pliant is to “has lost sight of moral purpose.” The establishment of Face in mend his fortunes. It is also true that Surly, as his very name the master’s favor at the end greatly “weakens the moral effect” suggests, is too solemn and resentful a character. But, of the play (Womack, 1986). considering that he is the most honest among all the characters in the play, he should have been given some kind of reward. The dupes in the play, morally flawed persons deserving Therefore, in this particular case, it is evident that “virtue is not punishment always rewarded, just as vice is not always punished” (Barnes, 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997). When various clients of Subtle find themselves that they have become the victims of his fraud, the moral purpose of the Lovewit’s lack of integrity; an undeserved reward for him comedy in The Alchemist becomes evident. The clients are “proved fools and gulls,” but, they are not punished for their Lovewit appears towards the end of the play only and remains “folly or lack of intelligence” only rather they are flawed the best gainer. He displays “a lack of integrity in his characters morally. They are ruled by the passion of “avarice or personality” as he forgives all dishonesty of his butler and greed,” so they are destined to be punished for this vice enters into a pact with him because the butler offers him “a (Ouellette, 2005). They must also be punished for their blind young, rich, and beautiful widow in marriage.” Lovewit accepts faith in Subtle and their credulity. his butler’s offer and also drives away all the ex-clients of Dapper would like to give up his profession as a lawyer’s clerk Subtle. He even goes to the extent of saying: “I will be ruled by and to make money through gambling. He wants an attendant thee in anything, Jeremy.” Lovewit receives “a rich prize spirit to facilitate him “win money at horse-races, card-parties, without having earned it.” He tries to justify his pardon of his and dice-parties.” He is completely taken in by the assurances butler by saying that it was necessary for him to show a little given to him by subtle and Face. He is such an idiot that he indulgence to the butler in view of the butler’s wit and in view swallows the bait when he is told that he is “a nephew of the of the butler’s having provided him with ”such a widow, and Queen of Fairies.” What he ultimately gets is nothing; and with so much wealth.” He admits that he “has departed from an nothing is what he really deserves. old man’s gravity or strict canon;” but he declares that “a young Drugger is another idiot who believes that, by following wife and a good brain which his butler has got, justify this Subtle’s directions as to the construction of his shop, he would departure.” However, it is not a convincing logic and it is right be able to attract a large number of customers and thus make to say that “the distribution of rewards and punishments in this plenty of money. Furthermore, he relies on Subtle to arrange play has the randomness of life, not the neatness of poetic his marriage with the rich widow, Dame pliant. He not only justice” (Barnes, 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997). pays cash to the conspirators but brings a “damask suit” for the doctor, and then is “completely cheated of his hope of marrying “Crime and Punishment,” not a suitable heading for the the widow.” play The Anabaptists, Tribulation and Ananias, want not only money but also power and authority. They would like to It has been suggested by one critic that crime and punishment become temporal lords and, at the same time, to increase their would be a useful heading for this play. But this view is not influence over the community to a vast extent. They are not strictly right. In Jonson’s play Volpone, the criminals are only avaricious but hypocritical; and they must also be punished severely (Womack, 1986). But in The Alchemist, the punished. In the end, their fate, too, is unenviable (Barnes, punishment of the criminals is not severe (Ouellette, 2005; 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997). Aurangzeb, 2019). Subtle and Dol certainly lose their share of Then there is Mammon who not only aspires to become as rich the booty, but they escape the law; and, as for Face, he not only as King Solomon was, but who would also like to maintain a retains his position but gains his master’s favor. Face surely large harem and would like to acquire, through the deserved some sort of punishment which he does not receive. philosopher’s stone, “sufficient strength and vigor to be able to perform sexual intercourse with fifty women in the course of Thus crime is not really punished in this play, as has been one night.” This man’s dreams of wealth, power, and sexual abundantly made clear above. We cannot, therefore, endorse pleasure are simply fantastic. But these dreams end in smoke the view that “crime and punishment” could serve as an when an explosion is heard from inside the laboratory. In the alternative title for this play (Lake and Michael, 2002). end, he is as furious as the Anabaptists, because of his discovery and their discovery that the runaway alchemist was The morality of the play a cozener (Keenan, 2014). These persons suffer “severely for their greed, credulity, and stupidity.” Among the dupes are also Jonson has “cast his net widely over society to include the Kastril and his sister Dame Pliant although they are not nobleman, the countryman, the little clerk, the churchman, the avaricious. As a result, they “neither deserve nor receive any small shopkeeper, etc.,” to show a cross-section of society led punishment.” by greed and lust to folly and loss” (Womack, 1986). Morally, In short, in all of these cases, Jonson has been “exceptional in the scope of the play is very wide as the faults of characters meeting the requirements of poetic justice” and it can be include “greed and lust; excess; triviality; coarseness, thick- asserted that “The Alchemist is a moralist-comedy with teeth in headedness; false ambition; credulity; feeble submissiveness; it to bite deep into several vices and follies.” The play further hypocrisy; double-think; extortion; and silliness” (Barnes, generates, in the thoughtful audience, “a much more serious 1987). These different voices are united and achieve the interest than mere entertainment may provide” (Ouellette, common motive of all characters which is “the obsessive desire 2005). for easy money.”

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Thus the play “depicts a whole society, ruthlessly moral aspect of the story while author 3 analyzed the paper as individualistic and acquisitive” (Aurangzeb, 2019; Kay, 1995). linguist reviewer. This society is ultimately “deluded and impoverished by its own false values.” This shows that the moral of the play quite CONFLICT OF INTEREST obvious. Moreover, the conspirators in the play “are certainly The authors declare that they do not have any sort of conflict of wicked and evil” but they have something positive about their interest with anyone or anything. characters (Barnes, 1987; Craig, 1999; Donaldson, 1997). The

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  Ouellette, J. A. (2005). The Alchemist and the emerging adult private playhouse. Studies in English Literature The authors acknowledge that it is their own work and not 1500–1900, 45(2), 375-399. funded by any institute or organization. The authors further  Raw, L. (1989). Jacobean city comedy in performance acknowledge and highly regard all the scholars quoted in the 1900/87 (unpublished Ph.D. thesis), University of Sussex, references. England.  Richards, J. (1988). What is the history of popular culture? AUTHORS CONTRIBUTIONS In Juliet Gardiner (ed.), what is history today? (pp. 126- 128). London, United Kingdom: The Macmillan Press Ltd. Author 1 contributed chiefly to the gathering and arrangement  Womack, P. (1986). Ben Jonson, London, United Kingdom: of data. Author 2 as a behavioural science student analyzed the Basil Blackwell Ltd.